Tag Archives: piano made fun

Join Dr. Olson in a teacher training session. Get the results that you and your students want!

During the summer months, we at Gist have the pleasure of welcoming teachers into our store for various workshops on teaching and music. On August 2nd and 3rd, we are excited to welcome Dr. Kevin Olson, from the FJH Music Company to our Lexington and Louisville locations.

An active teacher, pianist, composer, and clinician, Dr. Olson maintains a large piano studio and is on the piano faculty at Utah State University and directs the Utah State Youth Conservatory for pre-college students. Throughout his career, he has written more than 100 books and solos for piano students. All of these works have been inspired to meet the needs of his own students.

During the workshop, Dr. Olson makes “it a priority that my workshops are fun, educational, and I hope that teachers will leave energized with new and creative ideas and materials for their studios.”
Throughout the workshop, Dr. Olson will focus on a variety of topics and introduce a variety teaching techniques, books, and songs.

Some of the topics to be covered include –
– The needs of the beginning student, from children through adults.
– Introducing the brand new series, co-authored by Dr. Olson and his wife, Piano Made Fun for the Young, which integrates singing and movement while introducing the piano.
– Demonstrating some teaching approaches from the Succeeding at the Piano series by Helen Marlais, and introducing Grade 3 of this series.
– The Perfect Start, which supplements the students’ piano studies “by reinforcing note reading in a clear, systematic, slower-paced way.”
– Making students solid sight readers. Dr. Olson will introduce the newest addition to The Sight Reading & Rhythm Every Day series, Starter Book A.
– Improvisation and composition skills. “We’ll discuss the process of motivation in the piano studio, and how finding the right piece can keep a student’ interest high, while not sacrificing lasting artistic development.”

Dr. Olson’s workshop are free and each attendee will receive free music from FJH music, special in-store discounts, and a light lunch so they can spend time asking questions and getting to know Dr. Olson. To RSVP, visit www.gistpianocenter.com/clinics.

Welcome

Everywhere we go, we find that people love to talk about pianos. Do you have a question? Do you have a favorite piece or a piano memory you'd like to share? This is your forum. Send your questions to info@gistpianocenter.com and we'll answer them here. We'll also share our favorite piano stories from all across The MidWest. Stay tuned! There's more to come.